Happiness

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden walked out of the castle early that morning, feeling happier than he had in a long time, he assumed it was because of Bella, but even that wasn't pure happiness, because it was surrounded with worry. As Aiden got down to the lawn he smiled at a family tree and he took a seat and leaned his back against it, his happiness swelling him up.

For just a moment Aiden had forgotten about his new sister, his cousin, his hatred for his father, Alyssa, Theodore and even his hatred for Henri. Aiden sighed in comfort wishing he could be like this everyday. Aiden began to quietly hum a song he liked as a child. He knew that the lyrics had something to do with thankfulness, but he didn't know the lyrics anymore, he would have to be sure to ask Rosaline the name of the song next time he wrote home.

 

[Katalina Harker]

It had been yet another mundane day of classes and Kat was utterly sick of doing homework. Instead she decided to grab a book that she'd had for months, but hadn't been able to get around to reading. It was much too crowded in the common room and it seemed like a very nice day outside, so she decided to take her book and read outside today.

She headed down across the school grounds, loving this weather. It wasn't too cold, but it wasn't hot either. It was absolutely perfect and she felt more peaceful at this moment than she had in months. As she walked she saw someone sitting down next to a tree. As she got nearer she saw that it was Aiden. Kat was glad that they had made their amends the day that they served detention together...she hated conflict more than anything.

Kat walked over to him and said with a bright smile, "Hiya Aiden! Mind if I join you?"

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden had just gotten to the chorus of the song when someone approached him, Aiden stopped humming and he tilted his head up slowly to see who was talking to him. Aiden saw that it was Kat and he gave her a bright smile and said with a happy tone to his voice that he never really used anymore because it usually turned out fake but today it wasn't, "Hi Kat, feel free." Aiden slid over for Kat but still had his back against the tree and he dug his shoes into the snow covered ground.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat smiled and sat down next to the boy, leaning against the same tree as he was. "You seem exceptionally chipper today," she said at her observation. The look on his face was downright serene and she wondered what could possibly make him so happy. "So what's new with you? I haven't seen you around much lately. Classes going well?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"Yes, I'm not sure why, I mean I don't have many reasons to be..." Aiden mummbled the last bit to himself so Kat didn't ask him. "Well there have been a ton of things, and I don't want to bore you on them and I don't want to bumm myself out, and classes are fine I suppose, and yourself?" Aiden asked curiously as he looked onto the frozen lake that wasn't too far from them.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat followed Aiden's gaze. She glared at the giant boat that was still harbored in the frozen lake, but she quickly averted her own gaze...clearing her head enough to answer Aiden's question. "Haha! Well I don't want you to be bummed out. That's never a good thing," she said jokingly with a smile. "Ugh, I'll be so glad when classes are over. Is it just me or is it every time we get caught up the professors load us down with another pile of work?" she added with a tone of mock disgust, but then started laughing. "Everything's well enough I suppose. Just busy and such...and boring. Did you have a nice enough holiday?" she asked curiously.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"Holiday's were fine, I had to go back to France to see Gaspard's wife which was aweful but I invited a friend over for my birthday to my New Zealand house which was decent, the rest was just mediocore, what about you?" Aiden replied.

A thought ran into Aiden's head about the kidnapping and asked Kat curiously, "How did your parents react to Alicia being kidnapped?"

 

[Katalina Harker]

"Well happy belated birthday. Sorry that the rest wasn't so great though." she said sincerely and then added, "My holidays were good. I got to see my family so that's always nice, but I admittedly get a little homesick after I come back. Over all not that bad though. It was nice to be home for a few days."

A sheepish sort of look came over Kat's face when Aiden mentioned the kidnapping and her parents. "I, urm...well I haven't exactly told them. They work for the ministry so I know that they know...plus my mum has sent me an owl saying that if anything gets worse then they are going to pull me out of school." Kat flinched at the idea of it. Being pulled away from everything here would be quite horrible and just about unbearable. "I've been meaning to write her back to let her know that everything is fine, but I just haven't gotten around to it." she said meekly.

"How did your family react to it?" she asked, hoping that her mum wasn't the only one to over-react.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"Thanks," Aiden mummbled lightly with a tiny smile. Then he bit his lip and asked with genuine concern for his peer, "Oh what school would they put you in?"

Aiden paused to think about this, he actually wasn't sure if they would dare take him out of Hogwarts but knew they wanted to, "Gaspard thinks that I should go to Durmstrang starting next year if more things happen he will pull me out completly and make me wait until next year to restart my first year, my Uncle is 100% behind him on this, well it really is the other way, Uncle controls Gaspard and everything he does, he just lets him believe he is in control." Aiden paused to think of a way to end this then said thoughtfully, "If I do move schools, it probably will be to Durmstrang." Aiden bit his lip as he thought more about it then let out a small shrug and gave Kat a trying smile.

 

[Katalina Harker]

"They wouldn't put me in another school. They'd just homeschool me like they are doing for my sister right now." Kat said sadly. Then a look of shock spread across her face as Aiden said something about his parents moving him to Durmstrung. She wouldn't let her young friend be turned into one of them. "Aiden that's horrible. We won't stand for it. I'll kidnap you and we can adopt you as my little brother." she said only half jokingly. The thought of Aiden going to school with a big bunch of jackasses like Nic and Dom made her stomach turn.

Not really wanting to put a damper on her or Aiden's good mood Kat quickly said, "Well let's think positive. We will both continue at Hogwarts here in New Zealand. You will grow up to be Minister for Magic and I...well I'm still not sure what I want to do exactly, but it will be just grand!" She laughed at how ridiculous she sounded, but laughter seemed to ease the anxiety the current conversation was bringing upon her.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"Oh," Aiden said with a little bit of disgust hitting his voice, he would absolutley hate that. He'd probably be even more unsocial then he already was. Aiden couldn't help but laugh at Kat's suggestion and said, "It isn't all that bad I mean I'd be with my cousins though they are a right bunch of rats...no matter Gaspard wouldn't dare try and disipline me."

Aiden laughed with Katalina at her ridiculas suggestion and said, "I think you've got that backwards Kat." Aiden smiled as he gave her a light compliment, or what he meant to be one.

 

[Katalina Harker]

"Backwards? You think I would be Minister...or well Mistress of Magic?" Kat said as she really started laughing at the suggestion. "Hmm, I think I'll pass. Not enough galleons and chocolate frogs in the world could get me to take that job. You though...you I could see doing that." she said honestly. In the short time that she'd known Aiden he definitely seemed like Minister material. "So what do you plan to do after leaving school? Or have you even thought about it?" Kat asked with genuine curiosity. She had a few things that she thought she might like to do, but still wasn't sure about it completely.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"I'm not sure if that is an insult or a compliment," Aiden said with his brows furrowed as he thought more of this. "I haven't thought about it much, though Professor sounds interesting, but I don't kow if I'm cut up for that, what about you?" Aiden asked curiously.

 

[Katalina Harker]

"It's a compliment silly. I could see you in a position of power. Maybe a headmaster one day if not minister then." Kat said thoughtfully before adding, "I really want to be either a professor of herbology or transfiguration, but I'd also like to be a healer like my mum. I'm leaning more towards professor though. I think my dad secretly wants me to work for the ministry like he does, but I'm just not all that into it. A desk job seems a bit boring to me." She'd always known about what she wanted to do, but she still had plenty of time to make any final decisions about it.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"Better be, but I don't know if I'm up for a ministry job, oh well I have so much time to think about this," Aiden said with a tiny shrug.